An event flyer for an "Introduction to Teaching Artistry" workshop features text and portraits of two facilitators in the foreground against a colorful, abstract blue and purple watercolor background.

Enspire Arts

General Admission

Introduction to Teaching Artistry Enspire Arts is excited to launch the SW Washington Teaching Artist Network: a professional community for creatives who want to deepen their practice, refine their teaching, explore partnerships, and bring engaging arts education opportunities to our schools and community. What to Expect<ul fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Vision:&nbsp;Hear from Enspire Arts Executive Director, Sarah Lightfoot, about the vision for supporting access to supplemental arts education opportunities, uplifting our vibrant artist community, and the benefits of joining the SWWA Teaching Artist Network.</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Featured Speaker:&nbsp; Enspire Arts is thrilled to host Subashini Ganesan-Forbes, a powerful voice across the Portland region as a cultural advocate, choreographer, and teaching artist specialist. &nbsp;Subashini will share key insights on growing a teaching artist network, steps for creating a school-ready program, and practical tools for equipping artists to bring their creative practice into educational settings.&nbsp;</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Opportunities for Artists:&nbsp;Enspire Arts is seeking artists across all disciplines to build a diverse network of talent, including: workshops, residencies, performances and classes.&nbsp;</li></ul>Who Should Attend This event is open to anyone interested in learning about what we are building and how we can collaborate to expand arts education in our region:&nbsp;<ul fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Artists across all disciplines</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Educators and school administrators</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">PTA and booster group representatives</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Community organization leaders</li></ul>Admission This event is&nbsp;FREE, but we&#39;d love to know if you&#39;re coming! Please register in advance to reserve your spot, and we&#39;d appreciate your support to spread the word about this new opportunity for Clark County artists. &nbsp;Please invite friends and colleagues! &nbsp;Thank you!&nbsp; Facilitator Bios: Subashini Ganesan-Forbes&nbsp;(She/Her) is a choreographer, educator, and cultural policy advisor in the larger Portland region. She has served as the Chair of the Oregon Arts Commission (2023 &ndash; Dec 2025), and as Creative Laureate of Portland (2018 &ndash; 2021). A contemporary Bharatanatyam artist, her works highlight nuanced and universal emotive expressions. In addition to her own creations, she collaborates with partners including Middlebury College (Vermont), University of Oregon (Eugene), Portland Opera, Third Angle New Music, Ten Tiny Dances, and Risk/Reward Festival. In 2012, Subashini founded New Expressive Works, a vibrant venue serving diverse independent artists through residencies, artist conversations, and performance seasons. With over four decades of performing and teaching experience, Subashini uses her foundation in Bharatanatyam to engage audiences and students through innovative themes. As a teaching artist she has offered many innovative School Assemblies, residencies, and workshops to K-12 students across the Portland Metropolitan area. Subashini is Adjunct Professor at Pacific University teaching arts advocacy, has served as a member of the Portland Art Museum&#39;s Teacher Advisory Council (2018 - 2021), and co-designed and led the &ldquo;Teaching Artist Studio&rdquo; for Arts for Learning NW through 2023. In 2022, she was a featured guest artist at the 2022 American College Dance Association&#39;s Northwest Regional Conference and in 2025 the lead Artist Liaison for Camas High School Choir&rsquo;s South Indian (Carnatic) Music and Arts Curriculum with Choir Director, Ethan Chessin. Subashini In 2021, Subashini led the &ldquo;<a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.portland.gov/united/news/2022/2/23/community-healing-through-art-final-report" style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">Community Healing Through Art</a>&rdquo; City of Portland project that facilitated diverse community engagement events centered on grieving and healing. She is <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.oregonmetro.gov/stories/process-where-creativity-metro-invites-artists-activate-launch-future-50" style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">Artist Lead for Metro Future 50 Vision</a>, Adjunct Professor at Pacific University, and Interim Managing Director of Friends of the Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center. She also serves as Operations Committee member of the Oregon Arts Education Collective, Board Secretary of the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation, and Chair of the Portland Parks Foundation.&nbsp; Sarah Lightfoot, Executive Director Enspire Arts brings two decades of experience working directly with students, educators, families, and regional arts organizations across Clark County and thrives on fostering strong partnerships. She brings deep insight into how the arts spark student engagement, support well-being, and activate learning. &nbsp;As Founder of Enspire Arts, she channels her lifelong passion to uplift, elevate, and increase access to vital arts education opportunities. Sarah has a background as a professional pianist, private music instructor, choral accompanist, and is an active teaching artist. She has found the opportunity to bridge her work between the public and private sector to be extremely rewarding. She implements her self-designed &ldquo;Exploring Emotion &amp; Me&rdquo; arts-infused social-emotional (SEL) program at elementary schools across Clark County. &nbsp;Sarah believes in the power of the local arts community to strengthen our schools and established Enspire Arts to serve as a regional resource for supplemental arts education opportunities.

Introduction to Teaching Artistry Enspire Arts is excited to launch the SW Washington Teaching Artist Network: a professional community for creatives who want to deepen their practice, refine their teaching, explore partnerships, and bring engaging arts education opportunities to our schools and community. What to Expect<ul><li>Vision: Hear from Enspire Arts Executive Director, Sarah Lightfoot, about the vision for supporting access to supplemental arts education opportunities, uplifting our vibrant artist community, and the benefits of joining the SWWA Teaching Artist Network.</li><li>Featured Speaker:  Enspire Arts is thrilled to host Subashini Ganesan-Forbes, a powerful voice across the Portland region as a cultural advocate, choreographer, and teaching artist specialist.  Subashini will share key insights on growing a teaching artist network, steps for creating a school-ready program, and practical tools for equipping artists to bring their creative practice into educational settings. </li><li>Opportunities for Artists: Enspire Arts is seeking artists across all disciplines to build a diverse network of talent, including: workshops, residencies, performances and classes. </li></ul>Who Should Attend This event is open to anyone interested in learning about what we are building and how we can collaborate to expand arts education in our region: <ul><li>Artists across all disciplines</li><li>Educators and school administrators</li><li>PTA and booster group representatives</li><li>Community organization leaders</li></ul>Admission This event is FREE, but we'd love to know if you're coming! Please register in advance to reserve your spot, and we'd appreciate your support to spread the word about this new opportunity for Clark County artists.  Please invite friends and colleagues!  Thank you!  Facilitator Bios: Subashini Ganesan-Forbes (She/Her) is a choreographer, educator, and cultural policy advisor in the larger Portland region. She has served as the Chair of the Oregon Arts Commission (2023 – Dec 2025), and as Creative Laureate of Portland (2018 – 2021). A contemporary Bharatanatyam artist, her works highlight nuanced and universal emotive expressions. In addition to her own creations, she collaborates with partners including Middlebury College (Vermont), University of Oregon (Eugene), Portland Opera, Third Angle New Music, Ten Tiny Dances, and Risk/Reward Festival. In 2012, Subashini founded New Expressive Works, a vibrant venue serving diverse independent artists through residencies, artist conversations, and performance seasons. With over four decades of performing and teaching experience, Subashini uses her foundation in Bharatanatyam to engage audiences and students through innovative themes. As a teaching artist she has offered many innovative School Assemblies, residencies, and workshops to K-12 students across the Portland Metropolitan area. Subashini is Adjunct Professor at Pacific University teaching arts advocacy, has served as a member of the Portland Art Museum's Teacher Advisory Council (2018 - 2021), and co-designed and led the “Teaching Artist Studio” for Arts for Learning NW through 2023. In 2022, she was a featured guest artist at the 2022 American College Dance Association's Northwest Regional Conference and in 2025 the lead Artist Liaison for Camas High School Choir’s South Indian (Carnatic) Music and Arts Curriculum with Choir Director, Ethan Chessin. Subashini In 2021, Subashini led the “<a href="https://www.portland.gov/united/news/2022/2/23/community-healing-through-art-final-report" target="_blank">Community Healing Through Art</a>” City of Portland project that facilitated diverse community engagement events centered on grieving and healing. She is <a href="https://www.oregonmetro.gov/stories/process-where-creativity-metro-invites-artists-activate-launch-future-50" target="_blank">Artist Lead for Metro Future 50 Vision</a>, Adjunct Professor at Pacific University, and Interim Managing Director of Friends of the Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center. She also serves as Operations Committee member of the Oregon Arts Education Collective, Board Secretary of the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation, and Chair of the Portland Parks Foundation.  Sarah Lightfoot, Executive Director Enspire Arts brings two decades of experience working directly with students, educators, families, and regional arts organizations across Clark County and thrives on fostering strong partnerships. She brings deep insight into how the arts spark student engagement, support well-being, and activate learning.  As Founder of Enspire Arts, she channels her lifelong passion to uplift, elevate, and increase access to vital arts education opportunities. Sarah has a background as a professional pianist, private music instructor, choral accompanist, and is an active teaching artist. She has found the opportunity to bridge her work between the public and private sector to be extremely rewarding. She implements her self-designed “Exploring Emotion &amp; Me” arts-infused social-emotional (SEL) program at elementary schools across Clark County.  Sarah believes in the power of the local arts community to strengthen our schools and established Enspire Arts to serve as a regional resource for supplemental arts education opportunities.

Enspire Arts

Introduction to Teaching Artistry

The Arts Hub 1007 E Mill Plain Blvd

General Admission

Free

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